Amit Shah set to table new Bill :::: "... in order to prohibit any person from intentionally preventing singing of National Song - Vande Mataram - .. it is proposed to amend the Act to to make such acts punishable”

The Modi Govt means business : 

Vande Mataram’s insult may soon be punishable offence  

A new bill seeks to give ‘Vande Mataram’, the national song, the same statutory protection as the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

On Bill to make 'insult to Vande Mataram' criminal offence, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said: 

"The problem with RSS and all the Sanghis is that they want to pressurise people to believe in the idea of India. 

"Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji worked for India, which is celebrated by all. Pressuring people to do one thing is followed in 'shakha', where they were not singing the national anthem and hoisting the national flag for more than 50 years. This misuse of the office of Home Minister is unacceptable."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to pilot a Bill in Rajya Sabha on July 20 - the first day of Monsoon Session of Parliament. The bill seeks to give 'Vande Mataram', the national song, the same statutory protection as the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'.

The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has been listed in the agenda of the Rajya Sabha for Monday, with Home Minister Amit Shah set to introduce the bill.

The bill will amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which makes desecration of or disrespect toward the country’s national symbols including the national flag, the Constitution, and the national anthem a criminal offence, carrying a punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment.

According to its statement of objectives, presently, there is no specific legal provision to prevent insults to the singing of Vande Mataram, which is honoured as the National Song.

“Therefore, in order to prohibit any person from intentionally preventing the singing of the National Song (Vande Mataram) or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing, it is proposed to amend section 3 of the said Act to include the National Song also within its ambit, so as to make such acts punishable” the objectives state.  

"Where there are facts and logic, there is no room for a storm": PM Narendra Modi said ahead of the Monsoon Session.  

On CJP's protest, Congress MP Manickam Tagore says, "The way the Modi government is reacting to protests and demonstrations is unacceptable.  

"We will raise these issues in the Parliament. We believe these kinds of peaceful protests are a part of democracy. The way Delhi Police behaved with Mr Wangchuk and his detention in hospital is unacceptable. 

LoP Rahul Gandhi has been taking up the issue of paper leaks for two years now. We will raise this issue in Parliament today."

ends